When Does The Next iPhone Come Out? (Release Date And Early Expectations)

When will the iPhone 15 lineup come out? What new features will it offer, and, more importantly, at what price? If you have one or more questions like these, you're among the millions of fans the company has worldwide. It's that time of the year when rumors and leaks about the next iPhone lineup are coming in from all directions. However, if you are an enthusiast or just excited about the new iPhone, it could be difficult to keep tabs on every little thing.

To keep you at ease, we've compiled all the information related to the next iPhone, including its monikers, upgrades related to design, performance, price, and release date. So without any further ado, let's take a deep dive into all the believable speculations and leaks about the upcoming iPhone lineup. There are things you'll be excited about and things that might disappoint you. So buckle up because you're in for a ride.

Rumors about the iPhone 15 lineup surfaced online even before iPhone 14 came out. Initially, there was little to go on. However, as the company finalizes everything and moves closer to the launch, analysts have agreed upon certain aspects of the upcoming iPhone.

To begin with, we might be looking at four iPhone models this year – two regulars and two large-screen Pro models. While the vanilla iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro should feature a 6.1-inch OLED display, the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro Max should have a larger 6.7-inch screen. Some leaked renders suggest that the screen size for the regular iPhone could increase ever so slightly to 6.2 inches.

In early 2023, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicted that the top-of-the-line iPhone 15 Pro Max could debut as iPhone 15 Ultra instead, but later, he stepped back and said that Apple could release a higher-end Ultra variant, in addition to the Pro Max, in 2024.

You should expect the iPhone 15 models to look similar to their predecessors. Still, several tipsters suggest that the non-Pro variants will do away with the notch at the front and instead feature the Dynamic Island we've seen on the iPhone 14 Pro models. ProMotion (120Hz refresh rate) should still be available on the iPhone 15 Pro models.

A USB-C port is also said to replace Lightning Port on all iPhones, but Apple might reserve faster data transfer speeds for the Pro models. The difference could be enormous, as the regular iPhones could be restricted to USB 2.0 standard, while the Pro variants with USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3. There's a good chance that Apple can limit the USB-C features to MFi-certified cables.

As far as color options are concerned, we could see two new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus finishes, including a dark pink and a light blue color. Following recent rumors, the iPhone 15 Pro could feature a new deep red signature color. The Pro models are also said to come with thinner bezels and titanium sides to distinguish them from the regular variants. The placement of power and volume buttons could also be a bit lower on the models.

Apple's new iPhones could come with new and improved cameras, enabling you to take better images in both daylight and nighttime. While the regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus could use the 48MP (f/1.78, 24mm) primary camera from the iPhone 14 Pro series, the ultrawide sensors might remain the same, with some tweaks here and there.

The iPhone 15 Pro is also expected to ship with a familiar triple-camera setup with a 48MP primary sensor, 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 12MP sensor for up to 3x optical zoom. However, iPhone 15 Pro Max could come with a new periscope zoom lens that will allow you to zoom in further without losing sharpness. Although the company hasn't confirmed it, we could be looking at a zoom range upwards of 5x. Popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a 6x periscope telephoto lens.

The CAD renders of the models indicate the presence of a thicker camera module, especially on the Pro models, which also point toward the use of a bigger sensor. The front camera and Face ID sensors should remain the same, at least on the iPhone 15 lineup. There were reports about the iPhone 15 lineup with under-display Face ID, but that isn't likely to happen for another couple of years. 

Last year, Apple upgraded the iPhone 14 Pro models to its latest A16 Bionic chipset based on TSMC's 4nm architecture. In contrast, the regular models had an enhanced version of the A15 Bionic chipset. This strategy solves multiple purposes for the company. First, it allows Apple to reduce the manufacturing cost of the regular iPhone models. Second, it creates a solid distinction between the regular and the Pro iPhones. Hence, there's no good reason why Apple won't follow the strategy this year.

Expect the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus to run on the A16 Bionic chipset with 6GB of RAM, albeit the faster LPDDR5, which is still a very capable combination. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max should have the even more powerful A17 Bionic chipset based on TSMC's 3nm fabrication technology. The chip manufacturer predicts that the new processors will be up to 35% more power-efficient, which means better battery life. It is also speculated that all models will come with a larger battery.

Further, Apple can also bump up the RAM on Pro models to 8GB, which is another rumor that makes sense, as you would expect the Pro models to deliver the best raw performance. The iPhone 15 series will also ship with iOS 17 out of the box, with many new features.

Analyst Jeff Pu believes that iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be more expensive than the iPhone 14 Pro variants. Apple released the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022 with a starting price of $999 for the 128GB variant. However, the iPhone 15 Pro might start from $1,099. Similarly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max could start from $1,199. 

The price increase could be because of the high-end components, such as the new chip, periscope camera sensor, larger battery, titanium chassis, and so on. Nonetheless, Apple hasn't confirmed any of these details.

Finally, let's talk about the expected iPhone 15 release date. For the last decade, Apple has released its new iPhones in September, and there's no reason to think it won't reveal the iPhone 15 around the same time. Hence, you should expect the iPhone 15 lineup to come out this year in early or mid-September.

Although it could be a coincidence, the Cupertino-based tech giant has unveiled new iPhone models, including the iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and the iPhone 13 series, on a Tuesday, just something to keep in mind. Once Apple announces the iPhone on stage, it might take another ten days to release them publicly. That's everything you should know about the next iPhone.